 Rudolph Snel van Royen was born on 5 October 1546 in Oudewater.Born to a wealthy family in Episcopal principality of Utrecht while this province was under the dominion of the emperor Charles V, Rudolf Snel grew up in the city of Oudewater.At maturity he left to study at the University of Cologne under Valentin Naboth and at the University of Heidelberg under Immanuel Tremellius and soon received a teaching position at the University of Marburg.